When you hear the word strategy, what comes to mind? You may think of a Military Strategy like the D-Day invasion during World War II. On June 6, 1944, the Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy to liberate France from Nazie Germany. At the time, it was the largest naval, air and land operation in history and within just a few days, the mission was accomplished. It was a successful strategy that took years of planning and led to a huge victory.
When it comes to strategy, you might also think about sports. Most coaches and teams also have some sort of strategy. It’s not just about how you play the game, it’s also about winning and effective strategies typically result in more wins. Richard Williams is someone who understood the power of an effective strategy. Like any other parent, he loved his kids but he also loved sports, especially tennis. Before his daughters were ever born, he decided that they would become the best tennis players in the world. While some people just have lofty goals, Richard Williams had a strategy. He even developed a 78-page plan detailing how this dream could become a reality. After his girls were born and began tennis lessons, he even hung a sign on the court that said, “When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” From a young age, his daughters excelled at tennis and eventually played at the professional level. You may have heard their names: Venus and Serena Williams! They became two of the most successful tennis players in the world. There was even a movie made about this story called, King Richard.
Here’s an important question to wrestle with: if there’s value in developing a strategy for the military, a business or in sports, why would we not have a strategy when it comes to parenting our kids? When it comes to investing in the spiritual lives of the next generation, developing an effective strategy is not just important, it’s essential! In Psalm 145, we’re told that God’s strategy for future generations to know and worship the Lord is for parents to pass down spiritual truth to their children. “Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power.” (Psalm 145:4).
Simply put, a strategy is a plan of action to accomplish a goal. When used properly, a strategy can be very effective. So what is your parenting strategy when it comes to the spiritual investment in your kids? The good news is that God has already given us a strategy in His Word. While there are many biblical passages that speak about parenting, several are clearly strategic. One of these is found in Deuteronomy 6.
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” – Deuteronomy 6:4-9
In this passage, parents are not only told some important theological truths about the oneness of God and how to love Him, they are also commanded to teach these truths to their children.
Parents are to connect with their children at the heart level and make a diligent effort to pass on these important theological truths. This passage lays out a clear strategy by telling us: WHO is responsible to teach children, WHEN this is to happen, WHERE this should take place and HOW parents should go about it.
So what is your parenting strategy? God’s Word gives us clear direction about a parenting strategy. We’ll also talk more about all of this in a NEW parenting course starting called “Strategic Parenting: 7 Practices for Passing Down Your Faith to the Next Generation.” CLICK HERE to find out more.
